Mumbai: Mangoes to cost more this year due to unseasonal rains

Mango

Blame it on the climatic conditions, but if traders at the wholesale Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) market in Vashi are to be believed, mango lovers will end up paying more to relish their favourite fruit this year.

The APMC market receives only 25,000 to 35,000 crates of mangoes on a daily basis rather than the usual one lakh crates

Fruit traders at the APMC market have revealed that only 30 per cent of the mangoes have reached city markets. Even though the season of alphonso has started, the supply of mangoes is very low this year. Untimely rains last month had damaged the newly formed flowers, as a result of which the supply is expected to remain very low.

"Usually the peak season starts in April, however the climate this year has played dampener. By now, the market should have started receiving around one lakh mango crates on a daily basis, however, we are getting as few as 25,000 to 35,000 crates," said Vijay Dhoble, a fruit trader at APMC. Of the 30 per cent of the produce that is coming to the market, not even 20 per cent is of good quality. "The rains have also harmed the ripe mangoes, thus compromising their quality," Dhoble added.

At present, alphonsos in the wholesale APMC market are sold anywhere between R1,000-3,000 per crate, which contain an average of five dozen mangoes. While, in the retail market, traders charge R500-800 per dozen depending upon the size and quality.

On Saturday, the APMC fruit market in Vashi received 31,000 crates of alphonsos. Sanjay Pansare, APMC fruit director, confirmed that the supply would be less this year, as production of mangoes has been affected due to untimely rains.
The mango starts flowering in November and December, when winter begins. It takes around 120 days for the fruit to mature after flowering. The alphonso comes from the Konkan belt of Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri and Raigad districts.